Johnson, a longtime conservative, says the ad cherry picks from thousands of votes and called it “preposterous.”

“It is possibly the most dishonest ad I have ever seen. And I can tell you if somebody in my campaign came to me with an ad about Tim Pawlenty that was that dishonest, I would fire them,” Johnson said.

The Pawlenty campaign also released a blistering campaign memo questioning Johnson’s loyalty to president Trump, reminding voters Johnson once called Trump a “jack***.”

A senior Pawlenty adviser says voters need to see what he calls “the real Jeff Johnson.”

“It looks like Jeff Johnson has been itching for a fight. He’s been attacking Tim Pawlenty on a variety of things for months,” Pawlenty staffer Brian McClung said. “So now we want to make sure that voters know the truth about Jeff Johnson’s record. And it is not record that he is purported to have.”

It’s unusual to see campaign ads this early, this tough, and this personal. It could mean the race is closer that Pawlenty thought it would be, or he’s not taking any chances.

Pat Kessler

Pat Kessler knows Minnesota politics. He's been on the beat longer than any other TV reporter in the Twin Cities, covering state government, politics,...More fromPat Kessler